Sheet-metal can



(No Model.) v `A. H. YOUNG & R. BELDEN.

SHEET METAL GAN. No. 416,536. Patented Deo. 3, 1889.

N. PEYERS, Phala-Lsxhagnphar. wash aaaa ,c

I 7' UNITED STATES PATENT OEEiE.

4 AUGUSTIN H. YOUNG AND ROBERT BELDEN, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

SH EET-METAL CAN.

SPCFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,536, dated December3, 1889. Application led October 3, 1889. Serial No. 325,854. l(Nomodel.)

.To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that we, AUGUSTIN II. YOUNG and ROBERT BELDEN, both ofBrooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Self-Opening Covers for I-Ierinetically-SealedCans; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsand to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of thisspecification. y

This invention relates to that class of herm etically-sealed cans forpaints and other materials in which the can is opened by severing therim of the cover above its sealed edge.

The object of said invention is to provide, without material increase ofcost, a simple eifective opening device, whereby an ordinary plain coverfitted upon a can of ordinary form, and which is soldered along its edgeto the can to seal it hermetically, may be readily opened withoutdestroying the cover or. preventing its subsequent use upon the can, andto avoid wholly the objections which lie to the formation ofoutwardly-projecting angles or angular ribs, or of lines of reducedthickness or least resistance in the flange of the cover.

It consists in the combination, with the ordinary anged cover to besoldered upon the can in the usual manner, of a narrow strip of sheetmetal having a clean, sharp, straight edge, and which is interposedbetween the cover and can with its faces parallel with the peripherythereof in a circumferential recess formed in the latter, so that itshall completely encircle the can, a free end being left to extend outtherefrom through a slit in the rim of the cover, of sufficient lengthto enable it to be firmly caught and held for the purpose of opening thecover.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a can fittedwith our improved cover, with a portion of the rim of the cover brokenaway, and the severing-strip in action. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionin line of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 an elevation of the sealed can before itis opened.

A represents the body of the can. The upper end of the body iscompletely encircled This recess is of suitable width and of a depthcorresponding substantially to thethickness of a strip O of sheetmetalto be placed therein Iiatwise with its faces parallel with the sides ofthe can. This sheet-metal strip 'C is formed with parallel straightclean-cut edges of a length to completely encircle the body' of the can,and yet leave a free projecting end m, of a length sufficient to permita firm hold to be obtained thereon, either by a grasp of the fingers orby coiling it around apin or rod E, as shown in Fig. l.

The cover F to be fitted upon the can is formed with a plain flange orrim of thin sheet metal adapted to fit closely upon the can in thecustomary manner; but the rim is slitted at one point, as at t', farenough to allow the free end m of the cutting-strip C placed in therecess B to be passed outwardly through it. After the cover F has thusbeen secured upon the can over the cutting-strip C, so that the latteris loosely inclosed flatwise between the two in the smallest possiblespace, it is sealed in the customary manner by soldering its edge to thecan, the free end 'nt of the cutting-strip, which is left extending outthrough the slit t in the edge of the cover, being simply tacked'at itsextremity to the cover, as shown in Fig. 3. In order to open the canthus sealed,it is only necessary to take firm hold of the free end fm.of the cutting-strip C, which may be done by Wrapping it about a rod E,(see Fig. 1,) and then drawingit outward in adirection more or lessradial to theaXis of the can and with a downward pull. This will causethe sharp upper edge of the strip to act as a knife to sever thesuperimposed rim of the cover around its entire circumference with aclean shearing out produced by the outward twist of the upper edge as itis turned from its vertical to ahorizontal position simultaneously withthe drect outward pull exerted thereon atatangent to its periphery. Theupper portion of the cover is thus left free to be readily removed IOOand with a sufcient portion of the rim still remaining thereto (see atn, Figs. 1 and 2) to allow it to be used as a serviceable slip-cover.

By inserting the concentric cutting-strip ilatwise between the can andcover so that its faces are parallel with the sides of the can thenecessity and expense are avoidedof forming a projecting circumferentialangle in the flange of the cover and of securing a handle to thestrip,or of employing beveled edged or angular or serrated cutters, andthe ready severance of the iange is greatly facilitated, since by ourinvention the cutting-edge of the strip is made to act upon the metalwith a shearing out resulting from the twist naturally imparted to thestrip in turning it from its normal vertical position on the can to ahorizontal position in the act of tearing it Aout.

The use of the fiat strip of sheet metal, disposed as set forth, inplace of an iron wire, for severing the cover,- avoids the annoyancedueto a possible failure of the wire to act because of its corrosion bythe acid and solder used in sealing the'eover, which is apt to so impairits strength as that it will break oil. without cutting.

We claim as our invention- The combination, with the body and sheetmetalcover of a can, of a loose flat encircling strip of sheet metalinterposed iatwise between the can and cover, with its faces par allelwith the periphery thereof, and having a free continuous end extendingoutwardly through a slit in the coveigsubstantially in the manner andfor the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUSTIN II. YOUNG. ROBERT HELDEN. Witnesses:

A. N. JESBERA, E. M. WATSON.

